Viable – create and run macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs

Takes an IPSW image, available from Apple or downloaded in the app, and creates a virtual machine from it. Runs those virtual machines using your settings for the number or cores (vCPU threads), memory, display resolution, and shared folders (macOS 13). Supports HiDPI for crisp images on Retina displays. Lets you create multiple VMs with set Machine IDs for testing purposes. Runs up to two VMs at a time. Uses macOS lightweight virtualisation, so no Apple ID access, but iCloud Drive access available for Monterey. Beta 7 improves error handling and adds switch to disable shared folders.
Viable beta 7 (1.0.7) (Apple silicon only app for Monterey and Ventura)

ViableS is a sandboxed and locked-down version, which doesn’t share folders or the clipboard with the host, and can be run with all networking disabled, ideal for research:
ViableS beta 8 (1.0.8) (Apple silicon only app for Monterey and Ventura)

Liviable – create and run Linux virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs

Takes a bootable ISO installer distro and creates a GUI virtual machine from it. Runs those virtual machines using your settings for the number of cores (vCPU threads), memory, and display resolution. Lets you create multiple VMs with set Machine IDs for testing purposes. Runs as many VMs as your Mac can support using macOS lightweight virtualisation. Now features shared folders with host Mac, and support for Rosetta 2 to run Intel binaries in the VM.
Liviable beta 3 (1.0.3) (Apple silicon only app for Ventura)

Recommended Linux distros

Debian, tested with 11.4.0 and 11.5.0
Fedora, tested with Workstation Live 36-1.5 and 37-1.7
Rocky, tested with 9.0 and 9.1 (full DVD)
Ubuntu: search for a live distro supporting ARM, 22.04 Live Server and Jammy Desktop Live

Example Linux commands for Liviable 1.0b3

Mount standard shared folders:
mkdir /tmp/mountpoint
sudo mount -t virtiofs macdir /tmp/mountpoint
ls /tmp/mountpoint

Mount and enable Rosetta 2:
sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install binfmt-support
mkdir /tmp/mountpoint
sudo mount -t virtiofs rosdir /tmp/mountpoint
sudo /usr/sbin/update-binfmts --install rosetta /tmp/mountpoint/rosetta \
--magic "\x7fELF\x02\x01\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x3e\x00" \
--mask "\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xfe\x00\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xff\xff\xff" \
--credentials yes --preserve no --fix-binary yes

Articles

1 How well does it work?
2 How does it work?
3 Configuration, VM and boot
4 Core allocation in VMs
5 Hypervisors and virtualisation
6 Support limits
7 Improving the virtual display
8 How Apple limits VMs
9 Monterey’s limitations
10 Which app?
11 Machine identities
12 Installing Linux is different
Lightweight virtualisation in Ventura
Can you game core allocation on Apple silicon?
Disk performance of lightweight macOS VMs on Apple silicon
The mobile virtual Mac

How virtualization is important to the future of macOS
Explainer: Pixel density and display resolution

Using a Mac without a network connection
macOS virtualisation refactored and sandboxed in Viable updates
Liviable now shares folders in Linux VMs, and should support Rosetta 2
Lightweight virtualisation of GUI Linux on Ventura
Second beta of Viable for virtualising macOS on Apple silicon Macs
Introducing Viable, to virtualise macOS on Apple silicon Macs